Family Matters - of a family that really mattered to the dental trade.

“We are indebted to Derek Pacy, formerly a Director of the Claudius Ash Ltd.business, for the provision of a copy of a letter from one member of the Ash family to another, written in March 1913. The letter not only relates to significant business decisions but reveals the sensitivity of the man who is recognised for the contribution he made to establishing dental trading in Great Britain"

Written to William Henry Ash, Great Grandson of Claudius, and the Great Grandfather of Claud Ash  (also christened Claudius)

Dear Mr. William.

When I was at Broad Street last, viewing the portrait of your great grandfather, you told me I ought to write my recollections of your grandfather Claudius Ash and the businesses he founded and I think I told you that at my time of life I could not do so. But when thinking the matter over quietly at home it occurred to me that as I am the only one left that could do it I felt it was my duty to do my best to comply with your request so I resolved to try, and I beg you will kindly accept the following.

Many years ago there lived a gentleman, a truly Christian gentleman, his name was Claudius Ash and I should like to give you some slight idea of the sort of man he was. Physically he was a man of rather delicate constitution but mentally he was sound and grand, he had a small head but I can assure you there was something in it of sterling quality, but although his head was small his heart was large and full of love for his fellow creatures.  It was a heart that could feel for and sympathise with the poor. At the time I am writing about that single house that used to be known as No.9 Broad Street, Golden Square (but which like a chrysalis has turned into a beautiful butterfly), constituted the whole establishment, and that was more than sufficient for the family and the business for the first floor was let furnished. In the passage of that house at No.9 there used to be a sideboard and twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) Claudius Ash had that sideboard filled with loaves of bread, and I must tell you that bread in those days was rather more than double the price it is today, and certain poor people used to come to partake of his bounty. He always received them with the greatest of kindness and he never seemed so happy as when he was ministering to their wants. On these occasions his face was radiant with the celestial light of charity. His was no indiscriminate charity for each case was investigated by the district visitor. He would give to each poor person a loaf of bread and on Saturday and in addition to the loaf he would give to those who had children 6 pence or one shilling according to their needs. That is the sort of man he was and I shall never forget one occasion when he was letting the poor people out they was all God Blessing him and when he had shut the door he turned round to me and said, “It's no small thing to have the blessings of the poor". That's the sort of man he was.

Amongst the rest was a poor blind man, he used to come in a threadbare dilapidated old coat and Claudius Ash said to him "Mr. Ely I don't like to see you come in that coat" so he took off his own coat (a very good one) and gave it to the blind man. I fancy I can see him now, his face and his heart all aglow with brotherly love, offering his coat to the blind man; it is a beautiful picture and it perfectly illustrates the sort of man he was.

Claudius Ash, the founder of the business, was by trade a jeweller and he excelled in a speciality known as filigree work. It consisted of beautiful artistic designs all wrought out in small gold wire and when executed by him had a very charming effect and in those days it was very fashionable.  Well in George Street, Hanover Square there lived a dentist named Thompson and he gave Claudius Ash an order for a suite of this beautiful Jewellery which when finished he delivered it himself and I need hardly say it gave great satisfaction.  On that occasion Mr. Thompson had in his hand a set of teeth on 18 (N.B. probably carat) gold plates gold springs and swivels which he was going to put into the mouth of a patient but holding it out he said " Mr Ash, do you think you could do that kind of work?”  Mr. Ash looked at it and said yes he thought he could, so Mr. Thompson sent models and the necessary instructions for Mr. Ash to make a set of teeth and the order was executed in such a superior manner that Mr. Thompson was pleased to show it to other dentists and they asked Mr. Ash to do their Mechanical work and thus a very good business was created by working for the profession.

But what I wish particularly to impress upon your mind is this. That set of teeth was the foundation stone upon which the superstructure of the great house of Ash with its gigantic business and worldwide celebrity has been built.

So remember this

In those days the teeth used for dental purposes was the natural teeth actually extracted from the mouths of patients who died in hospitals and it did not seem to matter, what disease they died of.  Claudius Ash thought this a very improper thing to be doing.  He told me he thought it disgusting that peoples mouths should be turned into sepulchres for dead men's bones, so with this idea in his mind he commenced a series of experiments with a view of making mineral teeth.  It was no light undertaking for he had to find out the proper minerals to use and to build furnaces for preparing the composition and baking the teeth, and he told me himself that before he produced a tooth that he thought fit for sale (and you may take it from me. that if he thought it fit, it was fit for sale) he so far reduced his means that he had to pawn his silver plate to keep going.

But fortunately, or I would rather say providentially, the first floor of old No. 9 Broad Street was let furnished to Miss Goss, an independent lady, and she we11 knowing the sort of man he was offered to lend him money to carry on his experiments, which by dint of indomitable perseverance was at last crowned with success. The teeth he made were beautifully lifelike with gold tubes and they sold for 2/6d each. They were very much admired and one dentist used to speak of them as Ash's Celestial Pearls.

Well, having succeeded in making sa1eable teeth another great difficulty confronted him and that was getting up a stock, for considering the number of forms, sizes, and shades the difficulty seemed almost insuperable but Claudius Ash was equal to it. But I dare say you will smile when I tell you what was considered an adequate stock in those days. He said to me "Edward, if I could only get up a stock of 20,000 what a grand thing it would be.”  (How about the millions in stock now.)

The sale of the teeth increased rapidly so to surmount the stock difficulty Claudius Ash gave up doing mechanical work for the profession and he and his four sons, Messrs. George, Edward, William and Henry, with 5 or 6 assistants (and one small boy) devoted their time and energy to the making of mineral teeth and having created a stock equal to the demand they then turned their attention to supplying dentists with tools and instruments, gold plate and wire, gold springs and swivels, gold solders and in fact anything the dentist might want in carrying out his profession.

Well, Sir, I have endeavoured to give you the ancient history of a marvellous business in as few words as possible. I have traced it from its set of teeth foundation through the time when it was a speck in the past, and I must tell you that its first catalogue was printed on a single page of paper smaller than foolscap, a mere hand bill, and we all know what a splendid volume the catalogue of today is, and this now engaged in the business have daily ocular demonstration of what the business has grown to at present. From a mere speck it has grown into a co1ossa1, successful, dividend paying Limited Liability Company with an authorised capital of One Million Sterling and I hope and believe it will continue to grow until it doubles itself in the not very distant future.

In conclusion permit me to say I have had the honour of serving 4 generations in the course of 67½ years and if I am alive on the 13th day of July next I shall be 89 years old, and it is very gratifying for me to know that the grandsons and great grandsons have inherited not only the business but also the Christian virtues of its great founder. I often think the world would be far better if it was strewn with such Ash's. 

That they may long live to direct and influence the affairs of the Company is the sincere prayer of

Yours truly

E J Ash

March 25th 1913